Name
Abstract | ||
|---|---|---|
In any stored-program computer system, information is constantly transferred between the memory and the instruction processor. Machine instructions are a major portion of this traffic. Since transfer bandwidth is a limited resource, inefficiency in the encoding of instruction information (low code density) can have definite hardware and performance costs.
Starting with a parameterized baseline RISC design, we compare performance for two instruction encodings for the same instruction processing core. One is a variant of DLX, a typical 32-bit RISC instruction set. The other is a 16-bit format which sacrifices some expressive power while retaining essential RISC features. Using optimizing compilers and software simulation, we measure code density and path length for a suite of benchmark programs, relating performance differences to specific instruction set features. We measure time to completion performance while varying memory latency and instruction cache size parameters. The 16-bit format is shown to have significant cost-performance advantages over the 32-bit format under typical memory system performance constraints.
|
Year | DOI | Venue |
|---|---|---|
1993 | 10.1145/165123.165159 | San Diego, CA, USA |
Keywords | Field | DocType |
32-bit instructions,machine instruction,completion performance,performance difference,32-bit instruction,instruction processing core,pipelined microprocessors,16-bit format,instruction processor,instruction encodings,specific instruction set feature,16-bit vs,performance cost,instruction cache size parameter,typical 32-bit risc instruction,instruction information,performance,cache coherence,expressive power,risc,instruction sets,optimizing compiler,memory latency | Computer architecture,Instruction register,Computer science,Instruction set,Parallel computing,Classic RISC pipeline,Real-time computing,Reduced instruction set computing,Addressing mode,Delay slot,Instruction cycle,Instruction path length | Conference |
Volume | Issue | ISSN |
21 | 2 | 0163-5964 |
ISBN | Citations | PageRank |
0-8186-3810-9 | 16 | 7.79 |
References | Authors | |
7 | 4 | |
Name | Order | Citations | PageRank |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Bunda | 1 | 16 | 7.79 |
| Don Fussell | 2 | 304 | 291.96 |
| W. C. Athas | 3 | 49 | 14.28 |
| Jenevein | 4 | 26 | 9.97 |